Devices and methods are known for packaging resiliently compressible articles, such as mattresses, cushions, foam pads, and the like, for storage and/or shipping purposes. Substantial space can be gained in connection with storing and transporting resilient articles by packaging the articles in a compressed and/or rolled up configuration.
The known state of the art includes different types of mattress furling machines. These devices have a center mandrel and one or more pressure rollers. A mattress, together with one end of a long strip of film, are fed through a gap between the mandrel and a pressure roller. The mattress is flattened by the pressure applied by the pressure roller as mattress and plastic film is coiled around the mandrel. When the mattress is completely drawn in, strips of adhesive tape are applied at several points onto the plastic film and are rolled up with the mattress as coiling continues. The plastic film is then cut off and coiling continues over a given length of adhesive tape, without any plastic film, before the strips of adhesive tape are cut as well. Upon completion of the coiling process, the mandrel is withdrawn from the center of the coil.
Furling machines, however, may suffer from several disadvantages. During the coiling process, the mandrel pulls the bottom side of the mattress while it rotates, with the upper side being squeezed and flattened in one direction. Consequently, the joining fabric between the two quilted plates forming the upper and bottom sides of the mattress is subjected to considerable strain. In addition, the mattress may be damaged while withdrawing the mandrel from the center of the coil or soiled by the hydraulic oil necessary to keep the moving parts of the mandrel operative.
Further, the design of a typical spring mattress does not lend itself to being packaged in a rolled-up configuration. In particular, the ends of the side border wires in a conventional mattress may poke through or otherwise damage the adjacent fabric covering if such a mattress is coiled onto itself.
The background section of U.S. Pat. No. 5,934,041 mentions that soft foam mattress pads without a coil spring have been vacuum packaged with the foam pad initially being hermitically sealed in a plastic bag with a slot. In this approach, a flattening press compresses the foam mattress with the slot being positioned where a vacuum hose rests. The press applies pressure as the vacuum is created to compress the foam mattress. As the press returns to a home position, the slot is sealed by adhesive tape so that the foam mattress remains compressed. The foam mattress is then rolled up in some undisclosed manner and put into a tubular film bag which is then sealed by tape, wire or hot sealing.
A need exists for an improved apparatus and method for packaging resiliently compressible articles, such as mattresses as well as a spring mattress having an improved border support to facilitate rolling of the mattress.
The present invention is directed toward new and non-obvious aspects and features of an apparatus for packaging resiliently compressible articles, both alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations with one another. In addition, the invention is directed toward to new and non-obvious method acts and/or steps relating to compressing resiliently compressible articles in various sub-combinations. The present invention is also directed toward new and non-obvious aspects and features of a spring mattress, both alone and in combination with one another. These new and non-obvious aspects, features, acts and/or steps and combinations and sub-combinations thereof are set forth in the claims below.
According to one embodiment, an apparatus for packaging a resiliently compressible article has at least two rotatable, spaced apart article engagers or grippers adapted to receive an end portion of an article to be packaged. The article engagers or grippers may comprise hand portions which desirably have a rotation axis about which the hand portions are rotatably operable to roll the article into a compact rolled-up configuration when it is received by the hand portions.
In one specific embodiment, each hand portion has at least one article engaging member, such as a finger, for engaging a top surface of an end portion of the article and at least one article engaging member, such as a finger, for engaging a bottom surface of the end portion of the article. In addition, at least one of the hand portions can be adapted so as to be retractable in a direction away from the article, such as along the rotation axis of the hand portions, to release the article upon completion of the rolling process.
Each gripper, such as each hand portion, can be rotatably mounted to a respective one of first and second spaced apart gripper supports, which may take the form of respective arm portions spaced apart a sufficient distance to accommodate the positioning of the article therebetween. The arm portions can be pivotally mounted to the apparatus to permit pivoting of the arm portions about a pivot axis as the article is rolled. In a particular embodiment, for example, the arm portions are mounted to a support shaft, the pivoting of which causes pivoting of the arm portions. Alternatively, the arm portions may free-float about respective pivots, which may be along a common transverse axis such that, as the diameter of the article increases during rolling, the arms pivot to accommodate the increased diameter. Other upwardly and downwardly movable gripper supports may be used.
In addition, at least one of the gripper supports or arm portions can be adapted to be movable in a lateral direction (i.e., in a direction parallel to the rotation axis of the hand portions) to vary the space between the arm portions to accommodate articles of different widths. In one illustrated embodiment, one of the arm portions movable along a laterally extending support shaft, and may be slidable along the shaft, to permit such lateral movement of the arm portion and vary the spacing between arm portions. Also, an arm locking mechanism can be provided to lock the movable arm portion at a desired position relative to the other arm portion and prevent lateral movement when the apparatus is being used to roll an article.
Optionally, the apparatus may also be provided with a vacuum hose fluidly connected to a vacuum source for vacuum packing an article before it is rolled-up. The vacuum source may be, for example, a dedicated vacuum pump or a house vacuum system. In either case, the article to be packaged is typically placed in an air impervious enclosure. The nozzle of the vacuum hose is inserted into an opening of the enclosure to evacuate air therefrom. Consequently, atmospheric air acting on the outside of the enclosure will cause the article to compress to a reduced thickness.
The article may then be rolled by the apparatus up into a compact rolled-up configuration. Fluid connection may be maintained between the enclosure and the vacuum source to maintain the vacuum and the article in its compressed state while being rolled up, such as by rotating the hand portions as previously described. Upon completion of the rolling of the article, a restraint, such as an outer cover, which may be in the form of a plastic sleeve, may be placed over the article. The sleeve may be slipped over the article from one of the arm portions while the article is still engaged by the hand portions in one specific approach. The vacuum source can be disconnected from the enclosure (e.g., removing the vacuum hose) to allow air to flow into the enclosure to cause the article to expand to fit snugly in the outer cover.
A spring mattress having an improved border or edge support is also disclosed. According to one embodiment, the spring mattress comprises plural rows of springs extending between the ends of the mattress. Upper border wires extend around the periphery of the end portions of the upper surface of the mattress and have inwardly extending end portions. Lower border wires extend around the periphery of the end portions of the lower surface of the mattress and have inwardly extending end portions. Consequently, the inwardly projecting end portions of the border wires facilitate rolling of the mattress without causing damage to the fabric covering of the mattress.